What If No Gravity?

Student Experiment Packages Dropped March 2010

These experiments were sent by students to NASA Glenn Research Center for the first year of the What If No Gravity? (WING) student team competition for middle school students. WING is a nationwide competition similar to the Dropping In a Microgravity Environment (DIME) for high school students. These experiments were dropped in the NASA Glenn 2.2 Second Drop Tower in March 2010.

WING Experiment Image Gallery

W-01
Balanced Forces in a Microgravity Environment Organization: Luzerne Intermediate Unit #18
Wyoming Area Secondary Center
Exeter, Pennsylvania
A coil toy suspended by one end and stretched out by gravity. Shown
here installed in the drop tower Education Rig in preparation to be
dropped. Obviously the students took pride in their work!

W-02 RME (Repelling Magnet Experiment)Organization: Wyoming Valley West School District
Kingston, Pennsylvania
The photo shows the three repelling magnets loaded in the protective enclosure
before installation in the drag shield. This simple experiment gives a very
dramatic demonstration of forces and motion when the experiment is dropped
in free fall.

W-03 The Effects of Water Dispersal and Conductivity in Microgravity
Organization: Hanover Area School District
Hanover Township, Pennsylvania
This container holds a saline solution that will rise with capillary
force when it is in free fall. The saline solution should contact two
electrical contacts inside the container which will complete a circuit
to light the light bulb.

W-04 Slam Dunk
Organization: Hanover Area School District
Hanover Township, Pennsylvania
This innovative experiment tested five different ball sizes and weights
and different strengths of rubber bands. Where will the balls go when
the experiment is dropped in free fall?

W-05 The Effect of Microgravity on Buoyant ForceOrganization: Good Shepherd Academy - Diocese of Scranton
Kingston, Pennsylvania
Three layers of liquids, separated by density differences and gravity.
Floating items between each layer, metal washers at bottom, rubber
washers on top of bottom liquid, plastic stars above the second liquid,
and wooden letters at the top.

W-07 Vitamin-Enriched Blood
Organization: Northwood 6th Grade PEAK, Northwood Elementary School
Mooresville, Indiana
These three test tubes contain simulated blood. Each sample of
simulated blood is saturated with a different vitamin. Will the vitamin
remain in solution with the simulated blood?

W-08 Completing the Circuit
Organization: Hazleton Area School District, Drums Elem./Middle School
Drums, Pennsylvania
There are two concentric bottles, one inside the other, with a saline
solution between the bottles. Wire terminals are also located between
the bottles where the saline solution will rise during microgravity due
to capillary forces. When contact is made, the light bulb inside will
illuminate.

W-09 Does Microgravity Affect Density of Fluids?Organization: Hazleton Area School District, Drums Elementary/Middle School
Drums, Pennsylvania
Three liquid layers separated by density differences and gravity. A
blue layer, a yellowish layer, and a very thin clear layer.

W-10 LONG: Lights Out, No GravityOrganization: Gate of Heaven School
Dallas, Pennsylvania
A lightbulb, battery, and a circuit with a loose switch. Will the light go out in microgravity?

W-11 Lighting a Bulb in Microgravity
Organization: Tunkhannock Area Middle School
Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania
This elaborate experiment incorporates a mass (a large battery)
suspended by springs when in 1-g. Dropped in free fall, the spring
should pull the battery upward to make electrical connections to light
the bulbs.

W-12 Opposites Attract Organization: Dallas School District
Dallas, Pennsylvania
Two suspended balloons, one filled with iron filings and the other holding a magnet. Will they attract in microgravity?

The
EGG team made this one. A magnet is in the green balloon and iron
filings are in the pink one. These two balloons had interesting motion
when the experiment was dropped.

Teacher advisor's comment:
I can't wait to share the news with the team and see the video of the
drop! This entire activity has been a great experience for my students.
They had hands on experience with science and got to practice team work
and cooperation.

W-13 Microgravity FanOrganization: Lake-Lehman School District
Lehman, Pennsylvania
This experiment was damaged during shipment to NASA. It hasn't been
completely removed from the shipping box. A counterweight will be
suspended by rubber straps. The counterweight will rise in microgravity
to hit a switch which will turn on power to the fan.

W-14 Amazing Alka-seltzer BubblesOrganization: Crestwood Middle School
Mountaintop, Pennsylvania
An Alka-Seltzer (TM) tablet was taped to a magnet and was suspended above
the water inside a tall container. Another magnet on the outside of the
container held the tablet above the water until just before the experiment
was released to fall. The team's objective was to observe the motion of
the bubbles in 1-g before the release and compare with the bubble motion
during microgravity. The photo shows how the magnets slipped a bit down
the container side just before the small magnet was pulled away just before
the drop.

W-15 Ping Pong Ball on WaterOrganization: Crestwood Middle School
Mountaintop, Pennsylvania
An ink-colored ping pong ball in a plastic bottle floating on water. A
simple experiment to discover what happens when gravity is not the
predominant force. The resultant motion was surprising!

W-16 The Effects of Magnetic Pull in MicrogravityOrganization: Dunstan Middle School
Littleton, Colorado
This simple experiment will demonstrate forces and motions by observing
the loose magnet's motion relative to the suspended steel washer during
free fall.

W-17 Testing Magnetism in MicrogravityOrganization: Smith Middle School
Troy, Michigan
In this experiment, two electromagnets are energized when the
experiment is released to fall with iron filings in the cavity between
the magnets.

W-18 Aerosols in Microgravity
Organization: S.T.E.M. Dynamics
Basking Ridge, Pennsylvania
This experiment will examine the pattern from a spray bottle, in both
microgravity and 1-g conditions. The solenoid will depress the bottle
nozzle after the experiment is released in free fall. Later a 1-g test
will be performed.